Russian director Pyotr Fomenko dies at 80

Fomenko was praised for taking Russian theatre to a new level Renowned Russian stage director Pyotr Fomenko, who founded one of Moscow's most popular theatres, has died aged 80. President Vladimir Putin called his death "a huge, irreplaceable loss for Russian culture and for the theatre that he created and devoted his life to serving". Fomenko staged more than 60 plays in Russian and foreign theatres, over a career spanning 50 years. The cause of his death is not known.